Starhawk's feature set begins with a host of weaponry and a multitude of vehicles for high-speed, extreme combat combined with intense vehicular warfare on both land and air. The game's innovative Build & Battle system lets players alter the moment to moment action by giving them the ability to change the dynamic of the battlefield instantly with a selection of base structures at their disposal, all while in the midst of the fight. By the touch of a button players can violently deploy a number of buildings, vehicles, or artillery to strategically complete mission objectives and defeat enemies. Through the sophisticated architecture of the PS3 system, the instantaneous customization that Build & Battle provides, as well as the breadth of gameplay that spans multiple modes, is made possible.

Utilizing state-of-the-art visual technologies, the development team has made every effort to give players the realistic feel of actually being on the battlegrounds with vibrant characters and environments, coupled with dynamic lighting effects. Starhawk includes a full-fledged single-player story mode with various missions set in a number of diverse interstellar environments. The title also boasts a strong online mode where users can battle head-to-head in epic 32-player matches, up to four-player online and offline co-operative play, and split-screen gameplay within multi-player and co-op modes, always against an endless attack of enemies.

The Starhawk universe is set in the distant future, out in the far reaches of space where factions battle over a rare and dangerous resource known as Rift Energy. In this galaxy, colonies of humans, called Rifters, explore a scattering of planets, known as the Frontier, in attempt to mine this energy to make an honest living, but find their way of life threatened by the Outcast, a ruthless species of humans who have mutated into psychotic monsters due to exposure to this very same Rift Energy. Caught in the middle is Emmett Graves, a hired gunslinger ostracized from society because of his own exposure to Rift Energy, leaving him partially mutated, but still able to retain his humanity. Starhawk allows you to take on the powerful role of Graves who is drawn back to his home settlement of White Sands on the Planet Dust to face a mysterious outlaw and his war band of Outcast warriors only to discover that this job may mean more to him than he could have ever imagined. He will soon find out that his family is involved in the clash between the Outcast and the Rifters and therefore must decide between those close to him and those he swore to protect.